Sprint hits 300Mbps download speed on the Samsung Galaxy S7 while testing three-channel aggregation

Sprint announced today that  during tests, it was able to achieve a peak download speed of 300Mbps on an LTE connection using the Samsung Galaxy S7. The latter is one of the first handsets on the market to support the mobile operator's three-channel carrier aggregation. The carrier currently employs two-channel carrier aggregation for its LTE Plus service available in over 150 markets. While two-channel aggregation supports download speeds of 100Mbps, three-channel aggregation can reach download speeds of 200Mbps.

Three-channel aggregation allows for more traffic to travel through the wider channels, and at faster speeds. Think of it a road that has had its lanes widened to allow more cars to zoom by. Eventually, the three-channel carrier aggregation will be employed in Sprint's LTE Plus network. While two-channel aggregation uses 40MHz of spectrum on certain 2.5GHz cell sites, the three-channel aggregation employs 60MHz of spectrum on the same sites.

Sprint, which was surpassed by T-Mobile last year and is now the fourth largest wireless operator in the nation, has 160MHz of 2.5GHz spectrum in the top 100 markets. The carrier is busy at its lab in Reston, Virginia, continuing to test how fast it can get the Samsung Galaxy S7 to run on three-channel carrier aggregation. And Sprint will also be testing other handsets as well, preparing for the day that it can offer these faster speeds to Sprint customers.


Sprint is not participating in the FCC's upcoming auction of low-frequency 600MHz spectrum. The carrier says that it is has enough spectrum in hand, although it is higher frequency spectrum which does not travel as far or penetrate buildings as well as lower frequency spectrum (like the 600MHz air waves up for auction) can.

source: Sprint via Phonescoop